Beth Reinhard The Miami Herald

December 22, 2009

Beth Reinhard
The Miami Herald
One Herald Plaza
Miami, Florida 33132-1693

RE: Tales of “Hootie” and what did Alex Sink do when she worked for him.

Ms. Reinhard,

As a leading regional ink stained wench and as a proud card carrying member of the South Florida modern American Liberal cabal maybe you can get me an answer.

In your column of 12/12/09 you comment on the “white male GOP stronghold” and the futile attempts of Antigone wanabees to gain access to the testosterone laden redoubt. From your vantage point the only requirement to be a member and gain all the benefits appurtenant thereto is to have or to have had a prostate gland.

I have been trying to get an answer on Alex Sink’s acquiescence in this young century’s most blatant exercise of public misogyny.

In the winter/spring of 2003 the New York Times gave equal Page 1 coverage to two upcoming events.

One was the onset of the Congressionally approved war with Iraq. The other was an annual golf tournament held in a privately owned gold club in rural Georgia.

A war with men killing each other, with modern technology perverted to aid in this unholy cause, with an unwise war mongering lout trying to secure oil benefits for his family, with a demonic puppet master Vice President who long ago had sold his soul to the forces of the Dark Side, was one thing to protest. But worse, far worse things were happening.

White guys didn’t want to play golf with chicks. Further, they didn’t want to have lunch with them, particularly in the Men’s Grill. Despite this slap in the face of American women these guys were able to make their tournament one of the premier sporting events in the world. As much as the country celebrated the girls’ soccer team beating the…the…Who the Hell did they beat?...the highlight was the skinny chick taking her shirt off.

It was like central casting, with the able help of NOW and EMILY’S list, had chosen the nickname of the knuckle dragging dude in charge of this affront to American women. “Hootie” was his name. Discrimination was his game. “Hootie” would have to answer for his and his gender’s sins.

Pandora’s Box was open but the task proved too much for Lady Sisyphus.

The ladies did not prevail. They did not get to tee up with the rich White guys. They did not get to slurp down a few see-throughs in the sacrosanct grill. The damage done to them will take generations to repair.

In charge of this was the aforementioned “Hootie”.

Here’s where my unanswered question comes in.

Alex Sink worked for “Hootie” at the Bank of America. One might say that she was his “Gal Friday”. As she pondered the thickets of Glass-Steagel and the intricacies of fractional reserves she may have had to get him coffee and take car of his dry cleaning and dental appointments. I can not attest to the last sentence because I can’t get an answer.

Was “Hootie” always “Hootie”? Was he a woman hater when she worked for him? Did he demean and harass her? Did he tell jokes at her expense? Was she paid as much as her male counterparts? Why didn’t she resign in protest at his antics?

Now that she is running for the Senate she is entitled to a “mulligan” on this. “Mulligan” is a golfing term for “do-over”.

Maybe if you were to ask her we could get to the bottom of this vexing question.

I am not sure how the war will end but it pales in comparison to the brouhaha at Augusta Golf Club.

Besides, if “Hootie” drank in the morning – and she would know, wouldn’t she? - it would explain a lot of things.

Please get back to me before next November’s election.

Thank you.




Kevin Smith


PS – I am having a senior moment. Was it President Carter or President Mondale who appointed Sandra Day O’Connnor to the Supreme Court?